Would London benefit from a tourism tax? April 16, 2023 What sets London apart from its neighbouring European cities? The City’s bustling financial centre? A super connected underground rail system? Its diverse population of inhabitants? The answer could well be London’s hesitancy to tax its tourists for overnight stays. Even the country’s de facto second city Manchester has followed in the footsteps of Paris and [...]
A pilgrimage to the isle of Corfu April 13, 2023 Gazing out across the waters of Corfu from my villa’s infinity pool, I see rickety boats and intrepid paddle boarders. Further away, across the Ionian Sea, is the craggy coastline of Albania. Sea views often sound clichéd, but Corfu really is spectacular – and a perfect destination for spring. I picked Corfu as I’m a [...]
Why Las Vegas’ El Cortez hotel in ‘Old Vegas’ is the city’s best stay April 11, 2023 The El Cortez hotel’s recent renovation shows how Las Vegas is finally celebrating its history, says Adam Bloodworth If you thought the Las Vegas Strip was nuts, try Downtown Las Vegas, which one local tells me has recently adopted the nickname of ‘Drowntown.’ “Growing up here, everything is crazy,” he says, his expression suggesting he’s [...]
Easter weekend things to do in London, from parks to pubs April 6, 2023 Whatever the weather, we have the perfect Easter weekend activity for you, whether that’s eating, drinking, flower gazing, sitting by the river or checking out the latest video games GET A ROAST Blacklock, with four locations across London, is a superbly modern place to eat meat, but with one eye on the past. Their inspiration [...]
The Square Mile and Me: Steffan Williams on the joy of comms, the City’s data revolution and J Sheekey’s charms April 6, 2023 Each week we ask the City’s great and good to dig deep into the memory bank and tell us their favourite tales from the Square Mile. This week it’s Steffan Williams, the well-connected comms supremo and co-founder of Williams Nicolson What was your first job? Graduate Trainee at Charterhouse Bank. The key question at interview [...]
Another bite out of London: Franco Manca set to go private in bumper deal April 5, 2023 The owner of Franco Manca has been snapped up by a Japanese food franchise company in a £93m deal – the latest in a long line of London-listed firms to be taken private by foreign firms. Fulham Shore, which also owns The Real Greek franchise, announced that it was offloading the business to Toridoll, a [...]
9 Easter roast dinner hacks from top London chefs April 4, 2023 Chefs from the best restaurants in London and beyond give us their top hacks for the perfect Easter roast The easter roast might not have the same cultural cache as Christmas dinner (which is a shame, but more on that below…) but trust us, it can be just as decadent and delicious as its more famous [...]
Abu Dhabi is booming. We checked into the Shangri-La to get the lowdown April 4, 2023 Abu Dhabi is booming, so Olivia McEwan checked into one of the best hotels to get the lowdown THE WEEKEND: The Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri occupies a private stretch of beach on the Khor Al Maqta canal, positioned to offer views over the main island of Abu Dhabi from each of its 213 rooms. Its [...]
You can eat in the House of Lords Peers’ Dining Room this week – here’s how April 4, 2023 Anyone can get a seat in the House of Lords. You don’t need to be a party donor, government benefactor, baron, baroness or a bishop. The Palace of Westminster’s second chamber’s Peers’ Dining Room will be open to commoners and the electorate for lunch (12pm-4pm) on 4 and 5 April, and for lunch and dinner (5.30pm-8pm) [...]
The London boroughs with the lowest property prices: Where is the cheapest place to buy in London in 2023? April 3, 2023 With the OBR expecting property prices to drop by 10 per cent this year, first time buyers are tentatively hoping that 2023 might be the year they can finally afford to get on the property ladder. But with London’s property market still too hot for many young buyers, where is the best borough to buy? [...]